Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

New Year's day we had an ice storm. Very early Saturday morning, around 3 am (I was outside with Murphy), big, beautiful snowflakes fell. By the time we got up later, around 7, we had nearly five inches of snow on the ground. Because the ice hadn't melted before it began snowing, and because there was no wind, the snow blanketed everything in a thick layer. The result? A gorgeous winter landscape like I haven't seen in many, many years.  The treeline behind my house. I love the almost sepia tone look my camera gave to the image. The maple at the back of my yard. So far it  seems like the maple trees are fairing best. My street as we head home on our walk. The downside is all the weight of ice and snow on the trees has taken a toll. Lots and lots of tree damage. I have two tall pines on the property, and one is decimated. The village in which I live has lovely old trees, and so many have taken a hit. Every time we go out for a walk, it seems like I see more damage than I saw...

Yesterday, I drove over to my dad's place in Indiana and spent the afternoon with him as well as four of my five siblings and their spouses. Not long after I arrived, one of my brothers pointed to a family photo and asked me how old I was at the time it was taken. That photo is my all-time favorite of me. It shows my mom leaning against a tree with us six kids lined up beside her. I am at the end of the line, with about two feet separating me from the rest of my siblings. I'm standing kind of silly, and my face shows nothing but happiness. To me, that image says volumes about me and how I've always felt a little outside my family. Anyways, back to the question of my age there. I told my brother I thought I was four in that photo. He just nodded. Long story short: there had been a discussion about our little brother and how old he was in that same photo. The brother who had asked me my age insisted our little brother was only one year old in the photo. Everyone else was sa...